Foreign direct investment, net outflows in North America
North America: Foreign direct investment, net outflows was 1.4% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in North America, 1970–2025
Source: Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
North America recorded 1.4% for foreign direct investment, net outflows in 2025.
The figure is up 11.1% on the previous year and down 25.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign direct investment, net outflows in North America peaked at 3.7% in 2007 and was at its lowest, -0.3%, in 2018.
North America ranks 8th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Foreign direct investment, net outflows in North America, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.6% | — |
| 1971 | 0.5% | -24.8% |
| 1972 | 0.5% | +10.7% |
| 1973 | 0.7% | +26.8% |
| 1974 | 0.4% | -43.4% |
| 1975 | 0.8% | +110.9% |
| 1976 | 0.6% | -26.5% |
| 1977 | 0.6% | -5.0% |
| 1978 | 0.6% | +15.1% |
| 1979 | 1.0% | +53.6% |
| 1980 | 0.7% | -25.7% |
| 1981 | 0.4% | -39.7% |
| 1982 | 0.3% | -37.8% |
| 1983 | 0.4% | +27.1% |
| 1984 | 0.4% | +12.3% |
| 1985 | 0.2% | -60.1% |
| 1986 | 0.5% | +191.7% |
| 1987 | 0.9% | +94.2% |
| 1988 | 0.5% | -43.6% |
| 1989 | 0.9% | +82.9% |
| 1990 | 1.0% | +8.8% |
| 1991 | 0.8% | -18.2% |
| 1992 | 0.9% | +10.2% |
| 1993 | 1.2% | +30.3% |
| 1994 | 1.3% | +8.2% |
| 1995 | 1.5% | +19.4% |
| 1996 | 1.3% | -13.2% |
| 1997 | 1.6% | +21.1% |
| 1998 | 2.2% | +35.7% |
| 1999 | 2.6% | +19.1% |
| 2000 | 2.1% | -18.3% |
| 2001 | 1.6% | -23.8% |
| 2002 | 1.8% | +10.3% |
| 2003 | 1.8% | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 3.2% | +78.6% |
| 2005 | 0.6% | -82.2% |
| 2006 | 2.2% | +292.8% |
| 2007 | 3.7% | +67.3% |
| 2008 | 2.6% | -28.3% |
| 2009 | 2.2% | -16.6% |
| 2010 | 2.3% | +4.8% |
| 2011 | 2.8% | +20.7% |
| 2012 | 2.4% | -13.0% |
| 2013 | 2.4% | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 2.3% | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 1.9% | -16.6% |
| 2016 | 1.8% | -7.0% |
| 2017 | 2.3% | +26.9% |
| 2018 | -0.3% | -113.2% |
| 2019 | 0.8% | -369.7% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | +74.7% |
| 2021 | 1.7% | +21.2% |
| 2022 | 1.7% | -2.6% |
| 2023 | 1.5% | -12.7% |
| 2024 | 1.3% | -11.6% |
| 2025 | 1.4% | +11.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.6% | 0.4% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.4% | 0.8% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.2% | 0.6% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9% | -0.3% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.5% | 1.3% | 1.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North America
More economy & growth data for North America
- GDP (current US$), annual growth rate 4.82 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.7546 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2021)
- Services, value added (current US$), per capita 52,472 current US$ per person (2021)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), annual growth 11.31 % change on previous year (2021)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9466 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2021)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per capita 65,820 current US$ per person (2021)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 2.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), per capita 65,508 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.759 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), annual growth rate 10.37 % change on previous year (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign direct investment, net outflows in North America?
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows in North America was 1.4% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D.
- What is the highest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 2007.
- What is the lowest foreign direct investment, net outflows recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.3% in 2018.
- How does North America rank for foreign direct investment, net outflows?
- North America ranks 8th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is foreign direct investment, net outflows rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this North America data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), note: International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments database, supplemented by data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and D, published as part of Foreign direct investment, net outflows (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Foreign direct investment refers to direct investment equity flows in an economy. It is the sum of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings, and other capital. Direct investment is a category of cross-border investment associated with a resident in one economy having control or a significant degree of influence on the management of an enterprise that is resident in another economy. Ownership of 10 percent or more of the ordinary shares of voting stock is the criterion for determining the existence of a direct investment relationship. This series shows net outflows of investment from the reporting economy to the rest of the world, and is divided by GDP.